Do You Have A Favorite Hip? Part 1

I have a favorite hip. At some point, it became a very handy shelf to rest my son on.

I don’t remember consciously choosing this, but that’s the funny thing about habits. They can creep up on you.

You can see how off balance I am here. You might even begin to speculate that having one hip higher than the other, one shoulder higher than the other, and the head tilted to one side might not have the most positive effects. But to me, it feels comfortable and familiar to hike up that right hip and lean to the left side.

Sometimes I put my son down and I find myself still doing this:

Look, I’m not carrying a baby! But my body is still making the shape of carrying a baby!

And when I really take that moment to notice for myself, I really see, hey, this isn’t so comfortable for myself to be holding the same shape ALL the time.

And that’s when I realize how much my focus has been totally on my son - his meals, his naps, keeping him from hugging the cat too hard - and I’m not paying attention to myself at all.

So my first point is to frequently switch the way you carry your little one - because it might make your back, neck, and shoulders sore. (Also, make sure to switch what side you carry your bag, while you’re at it.)

But my deeper point is that many of us have a habit of attention: all for the baby, zero for me. Keeping a piece of your attention for yourself IS valuable. But it requires a mental shift, a remembering to remember.

I’d sure like you to notice if your hip is wonky - because it can make a difference in how you feel.

But at the same time, it’s not just about the hip. It’s about making the space to even notice your own hip in the first place.

I can be pretty highly attuned to my son - his needs, his moods, what he’s about to put into his mouth. But I don’t necessarily grant myself a fraction of that level of awareness. Of course your little one is important and needs care. But you are important too.

So your step one is to notice: do you have a favorite hip? And what’s it like to notice to notice? Give yourself full credit for even the tiny moments you bring your awareness back to your own mind-body.

Now see step two: we'll reset!

Changing your habits of alignment and awareness is a process - if you would like my personal help as a teacher in making this change for yourself, please contact me!